Lesley Gist
Join Historian and Museum Curator Beverly Morgan-Welch on The Gist of Freedom www.BlogTalkRadio.com/TheGâ€‹ISTofFREEDOM Thursday Oct.6 @8pm as she lectures on Abolitionist, Charles Sumner's Bleedy Kansas "Ballot Box" Speech. A speech which resulted in him being beaten on the floor of Congress, a beating so severe, it took him three years to recover.
Sen. Sumner, in his speech, denounced slavers for committing voter fraud.
Missouri held a special election to decide if the State would be admitted into the union as a slave or free State.
Unfortunately, Missourian "Border Ruffians," as they were called, in an attempt to suppress the vote, poured over the state-line and entered the diverse anti-slavery town of Lawrence. They burned the Hotel, destroyed two printing presses, and ransacked homes and stores. People were tarred and feathered, kidnapped and killed.